The Electoral Commission has declared Idi Amin Taban unopposed for the Kibanda north parliamentary by-election scheduled for Thursday.
A brief statement from the Commission on Wednesday evening, few hours after the independent candidate Sam Owor Otada withdrawing from the race, confirmed Amin as the singular contender.
“Otada Sam Amooti Owor withdraws from the race for by-election of Member of Parliament for Kibanda North County, Kiryandongo District. The Commission will, therefore, not conduct polling which was earlier scheduled for Thursday 10th August 2017,” part of the statement read.
“Accordingly, Taban Amin will now be declared elected unopposed by the Returning Officer,” the statement briefly concluded.
ChimpReports broke the story of Otada’s withdrawal on Wednesday.
Otada in a letter written on Wednesday to the Kiryandongo Returning Officer, didn’t state the reasons for his withdrawing from the race.
“Notice is hereby given by me, Otada Sam Amooti that with effect from today, the 9th day of August 2017 I do hereby withdraw my candidature for the elective office of Member of Parliament, Kibanda North County Constituency, Kiryandongo District for the by election slated for 10th August 2017,” part of the letter read.
The letter also had the required signatures of two voters in the county including Patrick Otim and Catherine Kimuli who approved the unexpected move.
“We registered voters of Kibanda north county constituency, Kiryandongo district whose names are hereunto appended, do hereby sign in witness to the withdrawal of candidature by candidate Otada Sam Amooti Owor.”
Otada represented Kibanda in the 8th and 9th Parliament.
Kiryandongo has 53 different tribes and languages including even South Sudanese, Kenyans and Chinese (working on Karuma power project) according to records in Bweyale sub county local government.